Dreams do turn into reality and India’s new hockey sensation Yuvraj Walmiki’s pounding arrival is perhaps a perfect example to it. Hailed as the new wonder of Indian Hockey, he has already shown what he is made of after he scored three goals in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy, including an all important goal in the penalty shootout against Pakistan in the finals.  

FRIEND’S NEWSPAPER CLIP A MOTIVATION

But his fairy tale saga goes a lot beyond that. The 21-year-old lad from Mumbai, who lives in a shanty cottage in Marine Lines, had no intentions of coming into hockey. Neither he had the resources to make it this far. But it all started some 12 years ago when he saw his best friend Boon D’Souza’s photo in the newspaper. “I saw Boon’s photo in the newspaper and was very impressed by that. He used to play hockey for Bombay Republican. As a kid it was a major thing to get featured in a newspaper. Even I wanted to be on the newspaper. So next day I went to coach Bawa, (Marzban Patel) and asked him if I could join them,” reminisces Yuvraj.

LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY

Even though he got the early break, it was still an unconquerable endeavor for him because his father Sunil Walmiki, who is a driver by profession, could not afford his hockey kit. “I come from a very poor background and did not have the money to buy a hockey kit.  It was my best friend Boon who came to my rescue and provided me with a kit and thus I started my hockey journey,” he said, informing that he had a tumultuous childhood cramped by extreme poverty.

The house in which his family had been residing for the last four decades, does not has power supply and the society people had been wanting to evict them. That was never done as they had no other place to go. “I had been through extreme circumstances but that never disoriented me from my goal. I feel blessed to have my parents. Even after so much of trouble, they never stopped me. I want to give them a life filled with comfort now,” said the hockey’s Yuvraj.

SHOWING GRATITUDE

Yuvraj’s first break came in the year 2007 when he entered into a contract with Air India with whom he still plays at the domestic level. “Joining Air India was the turning point of my career. It changed my attitude towards the game on a whole as I came to interact with major players,” he added.

Yuvraj, who came into hockey largely due to the faith that Bawa had shown in him, soon started to get noticed by others, including hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay. Dhanraj was immensely impressed by him and took him under his protégé. “He used practice in BHA grounds and he was the first kid selected in my academy. I saw that he had something in him and took him under my wings.  But whatever he has achieved in life is all because of his capability and acute hard work. His financial background never raised even a bit of speculation in his mind. He never let his poverty divert his attention. So no one can take that credit from him,” said the ace hockey player.

Basking high on his glory, the starry eyed Yuvraj is a very humble person by nature and gives due credit to everyone for his achievement. “I am highly indebted to Bawa and Dhanraj Pillai. I always walk up to Bawa and Dhanraj whenever I have any problem. They always guide me out of it. I am also very thankful to Michael Knobs, who showed immense faith in me and let me be a part of the winning team,” said the youngest member of Indian Hockey team.

ENJOYING THE ATTENTION

Yuvraj is liking the attention he is getting from his teammates. “Everyone in the team calls me ‘New Wonder’ which I like a lot. It gives me immense motivation to perform well,” he added.
And with fortune accompanying his new found fame with various state governments announcing awards for him and his team, Yuvraj is finally heading for better days ahead. "I am thankful to everybody who stood by me in trying times. I would also like to thank the media for all their support," said Yuvraj.

The young prince of Indian Hockey, who rose to immense fame, however denies to get carried away. “I know the expectations have grown, but that does not put any sort of pressure on me. I like it rather. I have struggled a lot and it is time to look forward. This is definitely just the beginning and my aim is to win an Olympic medal for the country,” he added.

By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury

Photos by Hridi P Mahanta

Indian Sports News